What's your least- and most-favorite skating element?

[Isk8NYC]

What's your least- and most-favorite skating element?

[Isk8NYC]

Least Fav: front-pull catchfoot spirals.  I just don't like the way they look at all.

Most Fav: sit spin - they are fast, fun and challenging.

[tazsk8s]

What's your least- and most-favorite skating element?

To do myself, or to see performed?

My favorite to do myself, is the flip jump.  It's my most reliable and even after all my injuries, weight gain, etc., I can still get it to "pop" nicely.

Least favorite, wow, 3 way tie between power pulls (knees don't like these), 8 step mohawk (broken wrist, 'nuff said), or anything involving back 3 turns.  In other words, most of the Silver MITF test.  Probably just as well that I'm starting over on moves I actually have a snowball's chance in you-know-where of passing someday.

Favorite to see performed, any kind of good, fast spin.

Least favorite to see performed, catch foot spirals.  I will never forget Dick Button snarking "oh goody, another catchfoot" during one of the first IJS years.

[scootie12]

favorite element to perform: nice, fast sit spin with some variations

Lease favorite element: shouldn't be a shock to anyone...the double toe-loop



favorite to watch: a beautiful two-jump combination, especially a triple loop, double loop combo.  Tonya Harding did a few really nice ones on rare occasions.

least favorite to watch: a horribly executed "dog peeing on a fire hydrant" spiral

case-in-point: http://a.espncdn.com/media/oly/2005/1105/photo/a_slutskaya_195.jpg

One reason why I hate how CoP/IJS awards for difficulty even though you look awful in the process 

[drskater]

Excellent question!!!

Favorite:

To watch: A huge delayed axel always gives me shivers, such as Gordy McKellen's (comes at 24-28")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrK44E1W03o

I believe this amazing jump is worth nothing under the new rules.

To do: I really don't have enough experience, but right now I love forward crossrolls (these are something I actually well), and I actually like the feeling of a salchow.

Least Favorite:

To watch: I'm not a fan of the catch foot spiral either (shout out Debi Thomas!!) I understand they're worth a lot of points but those contortionist, deformed spin positions leave me cold (what's next, swallowing swords?).

To do: right now, back spin--the one and only thing that scares me in skating!

[Sierra]

Least favorite to do: Any and all spins.

Most favorite: A tie between loop and flip.

Least favorite to watch: That ugly butt-stuck-in-the-air spin.

Most favorite: A fast Biellmann spin or a nice, big outside spread eagle.

[spiralina]

Most favourite to do: Biellman spiral, (a nice! attitude-style) crosscatch change position spiral, or layback lunge

Most favourite to watch: layback spin, layback ina bauer

Least favourite to do: salchow - I hate that jump - FO double 3s

Least favourite to watch: catchfoot twizzles, catchfoot deathspirals.

[icedancer]

When I used to freestyle: flip jump.

Favorite Dance - Argentine Tango

Favorite dance step - Blues choctaw

Favorite to watch - really good skating!!!  (or shall I say: a skater having a really good day!!)

[PinkLaces]

Least favorite to do: The backwards 3 turn pattern on the Silver Moves - evil

Most favorite to do: Camel/back camel spin

[sk8Joyful]

What's your least- and most-favorite skating element?

least: whichever skills practiced that do not yet materialize as I had hoped, like back-skating

Most-favorite: whichever skills practiced that are materializing as I had planned, changing all the time.

[Skate@Delaware]

Most favorite: salchow, spirals.

Least favorite: mohawks, bunny-hops, forward crossovers 

[aussieskater]

Most favorite to do = any dance where I'm in waltz hold.
Least favorite = spins (and their dance equivalent, twizzles!)
Most favorite to watch = a well-done Golden Waltz (I can only dream of doing that one day!)
Least favorite = another vote for the fire-hydrant spiral. Truly undignified, especially when pointed at the judges.

[techskater]

Favorite to do: Axels and laybacks
Least favorite to do: Hm, since I changed my attitude about my skating overall, there isn't a least favorite to do, I know that with focused practice I can do it eventually, so why fight it?   

Favorite to watch: Well executed transitional steps into a jump that doesn't have a pause before it happens
Least favorite to watch: IJS L3/4 footwork.  Most of it is interminable, slow, and just is a check box out of the list of things to do to make a winning program

[JimStanmore]

Favorite to do:  Fast footwork/steps

Least favorite to do: LFI 3-turn (for no good reason...)

Least favorite to watch:  The half rink long prep for jumps by elite skaters...

Favorite to watch:  Delayed jumps.  David Jenkins supposedly did the first big one [3 sec] (and triple axel)

BTW, delay adds to GOE
(http://www.usfsa.org/Content/201011%20Establishing%20GOE%20in%20Singles%20Short%20Program%20and%20Free%20Skate%20%28Includes%20Positive%20Aspects%29.pdf)

"Jump Elements
              1) unexpected / creative / difficult entry
              2) clear recognizable steps/free skating movements immediately preceding element
              3) varied position in the air / delay in rotation
              4) good height and distance
              5) good extension on landing / creative exit
              6) good flow from entry to exit including jump combinations / sequences
              7) effortless throughout
              element matched to the musical structure"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2unFSmlNjI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp2Vh-R0Wng

[jjane45]

Like: layback ina bauers perfectly timed to music (e.g. Mao, Caroline, and Mirai. Shizuka's deep bend is a bit too extreme to me). Beillmann spins and footwork that are both effortless and fast.

Dislike: scootie has a good case-in-point, ouch. The last club ice-show I attended, there were so many labored catch-foot spirals that I wanted to scream.